


Of Cats and Mischievous Young Men

by teas_me



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blanket Permission, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-19
Updated: 2012-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-31 10:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/343203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teas_me/pseuds/teas_me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas night, Snape finds a wounded black cat sleeping in front of his doorstep. He doesn't realize that cat is the missing Harry Potter. Random Words: candles, shortbread, mistletoe, roast goose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cats and Mischievous Young Men

**Author's Note:**

> I realize this fic will definitely feel like there's something missing. I've got a prequel and sequel chapters in the works!

Spinner's End used to be a run-down, dingy neighborhood, complete with abandoned brick row houses and broken windows. The roadway had been broken up, with several potholes scattered along the surface, and the river that flowed behind had been a murky grey color and full of rubbish. There had been a distinct lack of greenery except for the tiny green-brown (brown-green?) patches of grass in the park at the end of the street.

That was the Spinner's End Severus Snape remembered.

That was not the Spinner's End Severus Snape returned to.

It seemed that as soon as Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, every neighborhood - damaged by the war or not - was all about rebuilding and re-energizing. Spinner's End now featured clean sidewalks and saplings growing alongside a fixed and smooth roadway. The river still looked a bit murky, but it was being worked on. New families had moved into the row houses, and the block was looking better than it ever had before.

Severus stood at his front window watching the snow fall and breathed a sigh. It was the first Yule Severus was able to enjoy away from Hogwarts. He noted that while everyone else had put up decorations, his house was free of adornment. Other people probably made a roast goose or some other nonsense, but not him. He had leftover bits of a shepherd's pie from three nights ago and some biscuits for afters. He liked things simple.

Just then, a large tawny eagle owl swooped toward the house. Severus opened the window wide and the bird flew in. It dropped the day's evening edition of the _Daily Prophet_ on the desk and came to a landing on the perch right by the fireplace.

"I suppose you want a treat for that, don't you?" he asked the bird who just looked at him and tilted its head to the side. "All right, all right." Severus reached past the Floo powder on the mantle and opened the jar of owl treats. The large owl hooted and pecked the bits out of his hand before it flew off.

Once the owl left and the window was closed again, Severus turned determinedly toward his wing-back chair in front of the fire, carrying the _Prophet_ and conjured a cup of PG Tips and a plate of shortbread biscuits.

> AS THE HOLIDAY COMES TO A CLOSE, HARRY POTTER IS STILL MISSING
> 
>  
> 
> Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived to Conquer He Who Must Not Be Named, has been missing these past seven months, and Wizarding Britain has had no contact from its boy hero. I, a diligent reporter for the _Daily Prophet_ , contacted several of Mr. Potter's former classmates, who all confirmed that they have not seen The Chosen One since the "not guilty" verdict of one Severus Tobias Snape, former Death Eater, was announced.
> 
> "We are all very worried for him and we wish he would just come back home!" says Molly Weasley, Mr. Potter's "adopted" mother. "Christmas isn't the same without him!"
> 
> We at the _Daily Prophet_ are all hoping that Mr. Potter makes his way back home safely. And he should know that this reporter will keep her door open for that first interview when he does!

Severus harrumphed and scanned over the remaining articles, taking sips of his tea as he went along. "Leave it to Potter to say he doesn't like all the attention, disappear, and still bring all the attention his way," Severus said under his breath.

With the paper complete, Severus finished his cup of tea and waved his wand to vanish it and teacup. As he walked past the door to make his way up the stairs, Severus was startled by the sound of rustling outside his front door. He held his wand at the ready and slowly opened the door.

Severus scanned his yard, but whoever had been there was gone. He was just about to shut the door against the bitter cold, when a faint yet broken mewling sound caught his ear. Severus looked down to see a black bundle with bright eyes staring back at him. This time, the bundle mewled again, louder.

"For all the..." Severus trailed off. He bent over to pick up the bundle and turned into the house, kicking the door closed behind him.

Severus carried the bundle into the bathroom and placed it on the countertop. Now that Severus had the cat in a brightly lit room, he noticed the tiny black cat was covered in matted fur with dried blood. It tried to limp away, but it nearly collapsed on the countertop. "Damn it all."

He lowered the lid, sat on the commode, and began to examine the cat. His wand hovered over parts of the cat as a conjured quill took notes of his findings. As soon as he lowered his wand, he snatched the parchment from the air and read.

> Damage to internal organs...  
>  Several lacerations requiring stitches...  
>  … broken bones...  
>  … blood loss...

The list seemed to go on and on. Severus let out a heavy sigh and went to the cabinet. He pulled a few phials from the shelf, then stopped and wondered how to administer potions to a cat. He placed the phials back on the shelf and grabbed some small jars and made his way back to the cat.

Severus cast a few charms to heal the immediate injuries so the mangy cur could be bathed. He took his time, ensuring that the cat was not harmed any further from his ministrations.

Once the cat was clean and the salves were carefully applied to the wounds, Severus carried the cat back to the sitting room. He stopped in front of the fireplace and conjured a fluffy duvet and pillow, then placed the cat on top of the pillow and made a small nest with the blanket.

He left the fire going low, and as Severus made his way to his bed chamber, he muttered about stupid cats interrupting his Yule evening.

****

Severus woke the next morning as the sun was rising over the small neighborhood. It was still rather early and he cherished the quiet solitude of dawn. His cup of tea and the morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ were already laid out by his house elf on the small corner table by the time he made it to the kitchen.

He glanced over it quickly while sipping his tea and he noted that there was yet another front page article spouting off about the whereabouts of the missing Savior. "Good riddance to him," Severus said, and continued to read.

When he was done with his paper and tea, Severus rose to dress for the day. He had potions that needed brewing and others to ship. As he made his way back to his bed chamber, Severus heard a rustling and thought the cat might be hungry or restless to be let out. He turned and headed toward the sitting room and saw that the lump under the blanket had grown.

Severus immediately took out his wand and pointed it at the covered lump. It shifted around again. The duvet shifted and Severus found himself staring directly at a bare-chested, bruised, and sleeping Harry Potter.

****

Severus froze as he watched Potter stretch his arms and legs out from underneath the warm cover, then tuck himself back under the duvet and let out a sound Severus could only describe as a contented purr. He wondered why Potter's animagus wasn't something like the attention seeking chihuahua, a terrible creature that would yip and bark and nip at your ankles until it got your attention. It would certainly be a better fit for the troublemaker currently stretched out on his sitting room floor than a cat.

Severus chuckled to himself as he glanced from Potter's toes peeking out from under the duvet up to his face and those green eyes... The green eyes that were now staring back at him.

Potter closed his eyes and slowly stretched again, this time with a small grunt. "Oh, best not to move that way then, I suppose."

For a moment, Severus couldn't speak. The anger bubbled up in him. How very like Potter to attempt to manipulate him by taking on the guise of a cat! 

"Potter! Would you care to explain to me how the hell you have been managing to masquerade as a cat for the past seven months when you have had numerous orange-haired Weasleys pinning pictures of your face all over the place for the unfortunate wizarding public to gaze upon?" he began, not quite yelling, and skipping over the fact that the cat - Potter - had shown up on his doorstep at death's door. 

Potter moved again and sighed, and Severus could not help but stare at the muscles in Potter's chest and shoulders that flexed when Potter shifted. Briefly, Severus thought the young man on his floor looked delicious to him before he had to stop and look away. What was he thinking? 

"Snape. Um, Professor?" Potter called. Severus turned his attention back to the young man currently covered by a flimsy blanket and sprawled on his stomach (was he naked underneath?) on the sitting room floor. "I really didn't expect to be turned into a cat, you see. I was," he paused. Severus continued watching Potter closely, skeptical of what the other might say. "Never mind what I was, but once I turned I was disoriented of course and I just wandered until things looked familiar."

"Familiar?" Severus was starting to feel angry. He crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow. "How could where I live be familiar to you?" 

"Well, your memories I suppose. I remember seeing lots of things." Potter sighed and rested his chin in the palms of his hands.

"But why? Why would you come here in the first place?"

There was a look in Potter's eyes that Severus could not decipher. If anything, he thought the boy looked a bit confused and lost. Potter dropped one hand to the floor and fingered the fringe of the blanket before looking up to stare directly into Severus's eyes. "For seven years I was a complete and utter shit to you. And in spite of everything, you helped me. And you didn't have to."

"Are you... are you in any pain?" The words fell from Severus's lips before he could stop himself.

Potter looked at him and shrugged. "My ribs are a pretty bad. Took most of it there, I'd say."

Severus nodded and summoned the salve. He found himself on the floor kneeling next to Potter who had rolled over with one arm behind his head. Severus held the jar in one hand and the fingers of the other hand hovered over a rather nasty bruise a couple inches below Potter's left nipple. Severus suddenly found that he wanted to rub his thumb over the nipple to see how quickly it would harden.

Severus moved his hand closer to Potter's skin, and his heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest.

Before he could think to do anything, Potter's free hand darted up and grabbed a hold of Severus's wrist. Their eyes met for a moment, and Severus could have sworn he saw a flash of something (lust?) reflected in the young man's face. It would be a bit different to apply a healing potion to a muscular twenty year old man as opposed to a small cat, Severus though.


End file.
